16 Ayurveda & Yoga Can you eat...the solid or stable elements of water and earth. Eat according to your constitution: one way of controlling weight In Ayurveda weight gain is a kapha

Summer www.choicehealthmag.com

16 Ayurveda & Yoga

Can you eatwhat you like

and still be slim?

There is an obsession with weight. At six in the morning

my neighbours are running through the streets with

instruments strapped to their wrists to monitor every

heartbeat and every calorie spent. The gyms open at five in

the morning and possibly worst of all, emaciated, anorexic

movie stars are our role models. Ok I may exaggerate, but

there is truth in this.

With the warmer days, thoughts are

beginning to turn to beach bodies;

more accurately losing weight is one

of the goals of many of us before summer time is

actually upon us. It is not all about looking good;

the more sinister consequences of obesity are

well documented. Even being slightly overweight

has been shown to be detrimental to health. Of

course, there are the usual ways to lose weight –

meal replacements, joining a class, fad diets and

counting calories, but what does nature or

Ayurveda have to offer? Are there any natural

ways to lose weight?

Ayurveda describes eight types of bodies,

which are considered unhealthy. Out of the eight,

the two people most commonly complain about

are very thin and very fat. It has been proved that

out of these two those who are very fat have

most diseases and health troubles. This is

because the extra fat puts a strain on the heart,

kidneys, liver and the joints such as the hips,

knees and ankles. Overweight people are

susceptible to several diseases like high blood

pressure, diabetes, arthritis, gout, liver and gall

bladder disorders. The chief cause of obesity or

overweight is often not just overeating, but

irregular eating habits and not following the rules

of eating including improper mixing of food items

in one meal, or not incorporating the six tastes

into each meal.

A plan that is simple to follow will be more

successful in producing weight loss rather than

one that relies solely on deprivation. When we did

our research we found there is a difference in

weight between people on fast or Western food

diets compared to those on Eastern diets – be

they Japanese, Chinese or Indian. We explored

further and came up with a plan to guarantee

weight loss based on natural principles and diet.

This is the theory... it is simple really. The

universe like humans is made up of five elements

– water, earth, air, ether (space) and fire. We are

all composed of these five elements but we do

not all have the same amount of each of these

elements. It is found that we have two elements

more than the others. These two elements create

doshas or energies. There are three doshas or

energies – vata, pitta, and kapha.

The doshas are the three primary energetic

principles which regulate all physiological and

psychological processes in the body. A

harmonious state between the doshas or

energies results in the foundation for good health

while a disharmonious imbalance results in a

variety of signs and symptoms, one of them being

weight gain and even obesity.

The elements ether and air combine to form

the dosha or energy vata. Fire and water form

pitta while water and earth constitute kapha.

Therefore vata, having the light elements of ether

and air, has the mobile characteristic of air and

ether; pitta acquires the energy of fire and water

(helps control digestive fire) while kapha inherits

the solid or stable elements of water and earth.

Eat according to your constitution:

one way of controlling weightIn Ayurveda weight gain is a kapha imbalance;

however, the root problem is often not kapha.

Individuals with a vata imbalance easily gain

weight when stressed, overwhelmed or

overworked. When vata is out of balance,

addictions to food are common. Vata people need

regular meals, warm nourishing foods, with

warming spices and adequate amounts of

nutritious unsaturated oils or healthy fats.

Pitta individuals should ideally not skip meals

or they can get irritable! They need regular meals

that are lightly cooked with plenty of dark green

bitter vegetables, asparagus, green beans and

mild spices such as fennel or coriander.

Kapha individuals are good-natured, stable and

not easily stressed. They need to get to improve

their metabolism. Warming spices and foods are

recommended as well as bitter leafy greens and

fresh herbs.

What to eat and when: eating at the

correct time enhances weight lossBreakfast should be warm, nutritious, satisfying

and cereal based. Ayurveda recommends eating

your big meal at midday, which will give you long-

lasting energy to overcome prime craving time in

the mid to late afternoon. Dinner should be the

lightest meal. Digestion is much weaker in the

evening, plus lying down to sleep a few hours

later further slows down digestion, metabolism

and circulation. The body simply cannot

assimilate large evening meals properly. The

result is that much of the food is digested poorly

and eventually creates toxins, fat and excess

weight.

Especially avoid in the evening: cheese,

yogurt, rich desserts, red meat, leftovers and

large salads.

Conscious eating habitsHow you eat your food is even more important

than what you eat. Even foods that normally

cause imbalances will be digested reasonably

well if the proper rules are followed: chewed

thoroughly, meals that are not rushed. Likewise if

you eat the correct food in the wrong way your

digestion will be compromised. Agni (digestive

fire), one of the most important concepts of

Ayurveda is damaged or low and formation of

ama or toxins will follow. From an Ayurvedic

perspective when agni is damaged vata is

unbalanced and there is body and mind

disturbance. If you believe you do not have the

time to enjoy a fresh, lovingly prepared sit-down

meal, take a look at your life and shift priorities

where possible. Every meal should be a sacred

ritual, according to Ayurveda. Take a moment to

breathe, relax and say a blessing at every meal.

No phone, TV, newspaper or work while eating.

Your body digests food best when you relax, so

eat slowly and sit quietly for 10 minutes after you

eat to aid digestion.

Internal cleansing or PanchakarmaPanchakarma is recommended for detoxification

and to stimulate and enhance all functions of the

body. This will have a direct result on weight loss.

The massage, steam treatments and internal

cleansing therapies of Ayurveda can be done

twice a year to prevent toxins from accumulating

and eliminating their build-up in bodily tissues.

Panchakarma will result in healthier eating habits,

balanced weight and increased energy levels.

Exercise - Yes, can’t get away from itEnjoy your exercise activity and it will be easier to

stick to it. Also, remember that all of us don’t

benefit from the same amount or type of exercise.

Choose your exercise programme according to

your constitution. The ideal exercise options to

balance vata should incorporate slow

movements, not be too tiring, and help settle the

www.choicehealthmag.com Summer

Ayurveda & Yoga 17

mind and body. Slow dancing, low-impact

aerobics, tai chi, leisurely swimming in warm

water, walking and yoga are examples of vata-

balancing exercise activities. While walking is

universally beneficial, a pitta person may prefer

water sports, e.g., swimming while kapha

individuals need to add something really

energetic such as brisk walking or jogging.

Stress reductionThere are many ways of reducing stress in

today’s often frantic lives such as aromatherapy,

massage, acupuncture, meditation, tai chi,

breathing exercises and simple yoga poses that

will boost your energy and stimulate your

metabolism. Just take a few minutes to breathe

deeply and focus inwards on a daily basis.

Ayurvedic herbsAn Ayurvedic practitioner may suggest herb

formulas that gently detoxify the system while

kindling the digestive fire, allowing proper

digestion, absorption and assimilation. Excess

kapha in the form of fat and water can be

successfully reduced as the herbs contribute to

stronger pancreatic, splenic, hepatic and renal

functions. Strengthening and cleansing these

organs may lead to a more efficient metabolism

and regular elimination.

Triphala is an ancient Ayurvedic herb

that is composed of three dried

Indian super-fruits that work

synergistically together:[ Amalaki works as a natural antioxidant andremoves excess inflammation from the body. It

also helps to increase lean body mass and

maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

[ Haritaki supports the body’s natural cleansingprocess by gently removing toxins that

accumulate in the colon.

[ Bibhitaki is particularly effective in reducingthe accumulation of fat and fluids in the body.

Triphala can be used daily for rejuvenation and

detoxification. Popular for its unique ability to

gently cleanse and detoxify the system while

simultaneously replenishing and nourishing it, this

traditional formula supports the proper functions

of the digestive, circulatory, respiratory and

genitourinary systems. Most people can benefit

from adding triphala to their regime.

FennelFennel removes mucus and fat from the intestinal

tract, and is a natural appetite suppressant.

FenugreekFenugreek seeds burn fat and help absorption.

They are useful for dissolving fat within the liver.

They are one of nature’s super-foods due to their

beneficial effect on fat metabolism, blood sugar

and also their cancer-fighting properties.

Fresh curry leavesImprove functioning of the stomach and small

intestine. They are mildly laxative and thus can

tackle multiple digestive problems caused by food

intake. They are directly added to food or as an

extract in the form of juice and can be consumed

at the end of a meal.

Putting on excess weight is a kapha

imbalance. The cellular fire in the tissue is low.

Excess food and calories consumed by the

person are not burned and these turn into

adipose or fat tissue. This makes the person

overweight and obese. Our diets should therefore

comprise spices that decrease the kapha dosha

or energy in the body and increase our biological

fire pungent, so bitter and astringent foods will

help. What this means is that you eat your normal

healthy foods emphasising the kapha-reducing

foods and making sure the food contains all

tastes.

How does one do this?To understand how to do this we need to know

that all foods have six tastes to them and if we

are not eating all six tastes daily this causes an

imbalance in the body.

Summer www.choicehealthmag.com

18 Ayurveda & Yoga

Extracted from Slimmer in 1 Hour...Slimmer Forever by Ravi Bhanot and

Sushma Bhanot. For further information, contact Sushma Bhanot at

[email protected] or by call 0208 579039.

© Ravi Bhanot MRPharmS Dip (Nut) Dip (Ayurv) Dip (Massage) Dip (Home)

is a Director of The Ayurveda Institute of Europe and Coolherbals. He is the

author of Slimmer in 1 hour...Slim Forever.

[email protected], www.coolherbals.com, T: 020 85979039

The six tastes are:[ Salt, e.g., pickles, meat, soy sauce

[ Effect on the body: calming and enhancesdigestion

[ Sweet, e.g., sugar, honey, certain grains(wheat, rice, barley, cornmeal, millet, rye, quinoa),

milk, sweet fruits (apples, berries, pears, grapes,

sweet melons), sweet vegetables (corn, carrots,

onions, sweet potatoes)

[ Effect on the body: calming and soothing tothe system

[ Sour, e.g., Tomato sauce, yogurt, lemon,tomatoes, vinegar, some fruits are sweet and

sour (strawberries, grapes, oranges, pineapple,

papaya, rhubarb)

[ Effect on the body: stimulates digestion.

[ Bitter, e.g., salad, celery, olives, spinach,turmeric, lettuce

[ Effect on the body: creates lightness andclarity

[ Pungent, e.g., cayenne pepper, garlic, onions,ginger, carrots

[ Effect on the body: decongests the systemincreasing digestion

[ Astringent, e.g., beans, lentils, chickpeas,cabbage, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, corn, soy

beans, celery, spinach

[ Effect on the body: creates lightness.

Each food produces its own energy. How much of

each dosha or energy our body produces

depends greatly on how much of each taste we

have eaten. Once ingested, tastes work on even

after digestion has occurred. They continue to

influence our physical and emotional balance.

Spices can be safely added to anyone’s daily diet

to bring about these changes too.

There are spice mixes available that give all

the six tastes when added to meals. The

Coolherbals Kapha Spice Mix is one. It consists

of specially blended spices all working

synergistically to promote more efficient digestion

and fulfil the six tastes when they are not fulfilled

by our food. By satisfying the six tastes, cravings

and overeating is curtailed. Once the target goal

has been achieved, continue to eat foods from

the six tastes every day.

To reduce kapha you want to increase foods

that are bitter, pungent and astringent. All foods

have their own qualities. Warm, dry, lighter foods

reduce kapha by stimulating and increasing

warmth to help a sluggish digestive system.

Eating more of the bitter foods such as green

leafy salads and pungent foods such as hot

peppers, black pepper, onions, garlic and ginger

and astringent foods such as lentils, chickpeas,

beans, yellow split peas, okra and turmeric will

help. CHW